PM: Kerry's statements not chic

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has said yesterday that he will not reschedule his trip to the Palestinian Gaza Strip despite the US's request of delay. Always reiterating his desire to visit Palestinian enclave, Erdogan said last week that he planned to go to Gaza following an official visit to the United States in May. US Secretary of John Kerry has urged Erdogan to delay his visit to Gaza during a visit to Turkey last weekend. Touching on Kerry's statement, Erdogan said it was out of the question for him to postpone the plans, and described Kerry's public request for a delay "not chic". "Delaying my trip [to Gaza] is out of question. As I said in the past, the Gaza visit will take place after my trip to the United States. There will be no delay," he said, adding that he wished Kerry hadn't made those comments. "I've already said I would go Gaza following my visit to the US. Mr. Bulent Arinc, our government's spokesman, gave the proper answer. We have a US trip, the issue [visit to Gaza] could be discussed there," Erdogan said. On Monday, Deputy Prime Minister and government's spokesman Bulent Arinc called Kerry's statement "diplomatically objectionable, wrong and incorrect."